Was Coach Appiah In charge?

-Did he write Dede’s Statement?

After the disastrous outing by the senior national team, the Black Stars at the just ended Africa’s biggest soccer fiesta, AFCON 2013, in South Africa, questions are emerging as to whether Coach James Akwasi Appiah was really in charge of the team.

Pundits and connoisseurs are expressing doubts as to whether Coach Appiah was indeed, having a free hand in the management of the senior national team as the Ghana Football Authorities would want Ghanaians to believe.

Among the doubting Thomas is the former captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Sunday Oliseh, who made a categorical statement to the effect that all the 23 players Ghana took to South Africa, was imposed on Coach Akwasi Appiah by the Ghana Football Association

The Nigerian super star was hugely surprised with the overall performance of the Black Stars in the just ended tournament, adding “Ghana doesn’t play this kind of poor football, no way. The Ghanaians are very skillful and dominate games and they have this flair that was also missing.

Oliseh noted on Supersport on DSTV that. “Ghana always had players who you want to watch, player like Michael Essien who is one of my most favorite Ghanaian players of all time. How can you leave players like that behind when you’re coming to a big tournament you want to win?”

He continued: “And for me if it’s true that the Ghanaian FA chose the players for the coach, then they must take the blame and not the coach because you can’t choose a wife for another man. If you choose a wife for another man and there is divorce, then you’d have to take responsibility for the failed marriage,”

Apart from some of the bizarre decisions of the coach, including but not limited to invitation into the Black Stars, selection of his starting eleven and substitutions, Kwasi Appiah’s decision to drop Ghana’s most influential midfielder, Dede Ayew, at a time everyone agrees, his presence was most needed, has raised eyebrows prompting a revisit to that issue.

There has been widespread anger among Ghanaians following the Black Stars inability to book a final Nations Cup berth with Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa.

The Black Stars of Ghana last Wednesday lost 3-2 on penalties to a very determined and tactically disciplined Burkinabe side in a heated semi final due.

Even more ominous was when the senior national team for the second time in a year, failed to go past another determined Malian side for the third place position. They were beaten by three goals to one last Saturday by the Malians who won the silver medal.

Most soccer enthusiasts this paper spoke to doubted if it was Coach Kwesi Appiah himself, who personally authored the statement announcing the dropping of the talented Dede Ayew prior to the just ended tournament in South Africa.

According to a source familiar with the happenings at the FA but who wants to remain annonymous “I strongly doubt if indeed, Coach Appiah has the capacity to author the statement dropping Dede Ayew”.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of our cherished readers, we reproduce Ghana’s Coach; James Akwasi Appiah’s purported statement on the exclusion of Dede Ayew from the Black Stars squad for the AFCON 2013 for your perusal.

Kwesi Appiah’s statement on Andre Ayew

I have decided to exclude midfielder Andre Ayew from the Ghana squad for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

Following Andre’s inability to join the Black Stars squad by Monday morning for Ghana’s team doctors to assess the extent of his injury and fitness for the tournament, I have decided to work only with the players currently in camp.

All the players were given the deadline of Saturday to report to camp in Abu Dhabi unfortunately Andre did not turn up despite being released by his club and air tickets provided by the GFA for him to travel from France to beat the deadline.

As he did not turn up by Saturday night, I ordered for him to be contacted over his absence but he said he could not depart from France because he was seeing his doctors.

The uncertainty over Andre’s fitness started when the GFA received a letter from his club side Marseille that he had had a hamstring injury so could not meet the GFA deadline of Saturday 5th January 2013 for reporting to camp in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

In response the GFA wished the player a speedy recovery and requested him to report to camp by the Saturday 5th January 2013 deadline and submit himself to the medical team of the Black Stars for examination and if possible for treatment.

The club wrote back to the GFA confirming it had released the player to join the Black Stars at its camp in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 5th January 2013.

Unfortunately, Andre failed to report to camp and indicated that owing to the treatment he was receiving from his doctor he would report to camp on Wednesday 9th January 2013.

He was further advised to endeavor to report to the camp by latest Monday 7th January 2013 because Wednesday 9th January 2013 was the deadline for submission of the list of 23 players to Caf.

As Andre plans to arrive on Tuesday it means he would be unable to join any of my six training sessions before CAF’s Wednesday deadline for the submission of the final squad.

In line with my vision of taking only fit players for the Africa Cup of Nations, I have decided to work only with the players currently in camp.

I have personally explained the rationale behind the decision to Andre and I will continue to count on him in future matches if he is fit.

Thank you.

Signed:

James Kwesi Appiah

(Black Stars coach)